Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-04-15
SUICIDES OF GREAT MEN.
Thomas Todd Tells How Some Noted
Men Have Died.
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK, April o.
Suicide seems to be on the increase, and
the number Of public men who have COM
United felo de Sc runs well up in the tens
Lieutenant Governor Reynolds suicide by
throwing himself down the elevator shaft in
the St Louis custom house last week is no
stranger than that Of Preston King, who
drowned himself in the Hudson river by
leaping from q ferryboat, or that Of Felix
Mcconnell, Of Mississippi, who, after a long
spree. cut his throat in the Charles hotel, in
washington. 1t Is still q question in the
minds Of many whether Edwin M. Stanton
did not die In the same way. 1t was stated
at the time that ne died suddenly, but 1t was
whispered that the cause OF his death was q
cut In MS throat which was made by his own
hand. Stantons messenger, who still works
IN the war department., says that he aided in
the preparation OF Stanton for burial, and
that there was no mark upon his throat.
Gen. Joe Lane, who was so noted during the
Kansas troubles, killed himself within few
weeks OF ms DIST birthday. Politics, it is
saiu, was the cause OF his death. The uncle
OF john u. White, who was the speaker Of
suicide at richmond, KY, by cutting his
throat Jesse Ihomas, once senator from
Limos, suicided In the same manner in 1850.
An Onio congressman named Stone. having
become a defaulter, committed suicide in
1000, ana went TO the cemetery to die. He
was round lying dead upon the graves OF his
children. John Ewing, an Indiana congress
man. died In 1887 at Vmcennes. He was
round sitting in his chair, with sheet of
paper upon which the ink was still fresh
lying beside him, the words upon which
were evidently penned just before bis death.
lhese words were:
Here lies man who loved his friends,
his aod' MS country and Vincennes.
Ihomas Jefferson Rusk, OF Texas, com
united suicide after leaving LIE senate, away
back in the thirties. He shot himself, and the
cause OF his death has always been involved
in mystery. Congressman Hise, Of the Thirty
ninth congress, who was once United States
minister to Guatemala, committed suicide on
account Of insanity resulting from overwork.
Williamson r. w. Cobb, Of Alabama, left
the congress of the United States in 1861 to
become a member Of the Confederate con.
gress. He died by pistol shot from his own
weapon, but whether the discharge of the
pistol was accidental or not is not known.
-.
There were in the United States. Az crdine
to the census Of 1880. during the decade fol
lowing the year 1870, over 1880 suicides, Of
whom 2, 1O4 were men and 4H we're women
It is thought, however, that this estimate is
much below the real number and a life in
surance company kept the account of the
suicides reported in the daily papers for 9
period Of four years. It was found that 6,2Ss
suicides were reported from February, 1882
to February, 1885, OF this number Al were
maids and 1915 batcheors Two thousand
and fifty-three were husbands and 59s
were wives; SO that the women in every
case seem to have had the best of it
The suicides were the more numerous among
the farmers, and, by the way, the insane
! asyluns contain a larger proportion of far
mers than men of any other class
s*s
Suicide was not considered crime among
many OF the ancient nations, and Demos
themes, Themistocles and Hannibal ended
their lives in this way. Mark Antony killec
himself, and his sweetheart, Cleopatra, put tn,
poisonous asp to her breast The Bible tell
how Samson pulled down the house upor
himself in order that he might destroy his en-
emies, how King Saul impaled himself upoI
v,antanca committed cr,icido Mithr;da 70